Energy Efficient Software-Based Self-Test for Wireless Sensor Network Nodes

Abstract

We consider self-testing

Infrastructure for Testing Nodes of a Wireless Sensor Network

“…Recent work in software-based self-test (SBST) programs (Zhang, Zilic, & Radecka, 2006;Kranitis, Paschalis, Gizopoulos, & Xenoulis, 2005; offers a way to achieve high quality testing with a small performance overhead and no area penalty. The SBST programs utilize an existing MCU's instruction set to perform a self-test of all digital and mixedsignal components on a WSN node.…”

“…This reduces the need for individual node testing using expensive automated testing equipment (ATE) or alternative onboard testing interfaces. Recent work in developing SBST programs for embedded processors includes the work of (Kranitis et al, 2005), which was used as the basis for an overall WSN node testing methodology proposed in (Zhang, Zilic, & Radecka, 2006;Zhang, 2005).…”

“…The work of (Kranitis et al, 2005) builds upon (Kranitis et al, 2002) by defining test priorities for different processor components. The SBST proposed in (Kranitis et al, 2005) is also used as the basis for the methodology proposed in (Zhang, Zilic, & Radecka, 2006;Zhang, 2005), and shares desirable characteristics with functional testing, like high-level test development using the instruction set. The work takes a lower-level approach in its use of RTL information and uses a divide-and-conquer method to target individual components with the stuck-at fault model.…”

“…If the compression of SBST programs is to be considered, the programs themselves should be characterized as being of low entropy. An analysis is therefore performed on three real SBST programs from (Zhang, Zilic, & Radecka, 2006) used in testing WSN nodes, denoted P n . As a useful measure of entropy, a histogram of symbol frequencies is produced by inputting SBST program machine code into MATLAB 7.0, with a symbol size of 1 byte.…”

“…Both the research platform and current-measurement circuit are developed in-house (Zhang, Zilic, & Radecka, 2006;Zhang, 2005). The output of the current-measurement circuit includes a voltage that is measured across a known resistance, giving an instantaneous current reading.…”